Authorities never have found Kimberly Mimmovich's body but maintained that Kaseta killed her during an argument at the trailer they shared in December 2001.

Kaseta, 52, said she disappeared the next day after they traveled to Deerfield Beach to visit his sister, and Mimmovich didn't return from a walk on the beach alone to watch the sunrise. She was 37.

During last month's trial, Assistant State Attorney Cass Castillo told jurors the Lake Wales woman never made it to the beach. She died during a heated argument with Kaseta the night before — after she had told a man at a bar that she wasn't dating anyone, he said.

Neighbors testified during the trial that they heard things hitting walls in the couple's trailer that night, then they heard one loud thump, followed by silence.

Castillo called the trip a "charade" to get rid of his girlfriend's body, which he surmised was discarded somewhere along the way to Deerfield Beach.

Bartow lawyer Jeffrey Holmes, representing Kaseta, said the prosecution's case was based on "supposition, speculation, conjecture and innuendo."

"What you really got is an unsolved disappearance," he said.

Jurors deliberated nearly five hours before returning with a guilty verdict.

On Friday, several of Mimmovich's relatives offered statements during the sentencing hearing, asking Durrance to impose the maximum sentence.

"If she were here today," said Pamela Ward, the victim's cousin, "I believe she would say. ‘Dion, I loved you very much. You were a part of me. We were going to be a family. My family loved you and trusted me to you. Your selfishness took me away from the one thing that is most important to me — my family.' "

During Friday's hearing, Durrance denied Kaseta's motion for a new trial on grounds that a defense witness recognized one of the jurors in the trial as her former neighbor. Holmes alleged the juror was guilty of misconduct, and he sought the court's permission to interview that juror, but Durrance rejected that argument.

[ Suzie Schottelkotte can be reached at suzie.schottelkotte@theledger.com or 863-533- 9070. ]

<p>BARTOW | Dion Kaseta, who was convicted of manslaughter last month for the 2001 disappearance of his girlfriend, was sentenced to 15 years in prison Friday for her death.</p><p>Circuit Judge J. Dale Durrance imposed the maximum sentence against Kaseta for a manslaughter conviction.</p><p>Authorities never have found Kimberly Mimmovich's body but maintained that Kaseta killed her during an argument at the trailer they shared in December 2001.</p><p>Kaseta, 52, said she disappeared the next day after they traveled to Deerfield Beach to visit his sister, and Mimmovich didn't return from a walk on the beach alone to watch the sunrise. She was 37.</p><p>During last month's trial, Assistant State Attorney Cass Castillo told jurors the Lake Wales woman never made it to the beach. She died during a heated argument with Kaseta the night before — after she had told a man at a bar that she wasn't dating anyone, he said.</p><p>Neighbors testified during the trial that they heard things hitting walls in the couple's trailer that night, then they heard one loud thump, followed by silence.</p><p>Castillo called the trip a "charade" to get rid of his girlfriend's body, which he surmised was discarded somewhere along the way to Deerfield Beach.</p><p>Bartow lawyer Jeffrey Holmes, representing Kaseta, said the prosecution's case was based on "supposition, speculation, conjecture and innuendo."</p><p>"What you really got is an unsolved disappearance," he said.</p><p>Jurors deliberated nearly five hours before returning with a guilty verdict.</p><p>On Friday, several of Mimmovich's relatives offered statements during the sentencing hearing, asking Durrance to impose the maximum sentence.</p><p>"If she were here today," said Pamela Ward, the victim's cousin, "I believe she would say. 'Dion, I loved you very much. You were a part of me. We were going to be a family. My family loved you and trusted me to you. Your selfishness took me away from the one thing that is most important to me — my family.' "</p><p>During Friday's hearing, Durrance denied Kaseta's motion for a new trial on grounds that a defense witness recognized one of the jurors in the trial as her former neighbor. Holmes alleged the juror was guilty of misconduct, and he sought the court's permission to interview that juror, but Durrance rejected that argument.</p><p> </p><p>[ Suzie Schottelkotte can be reached at suzie.schottelkotte@theledger.com or 863-533- 9070. ]</p>